Improvement in thrashing-machines



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. MILLER.

THRESHING MACHINE.

' Patented Jan. 31, 1871.

3 Sheets- Sheet 2.

.H m w A m N Patented Jan. 31, M571.

3 SheetsSheet 3.

J. H. MILLER. THRESHING MACHINE.

No. 111,367. Patented-1211:1131, 1871 Iii I oughly separate the grain from straw, chaif, and other 'the cover removed.

that seen strut dtjfiiinc.

JOSEPH MILLER, 0F ARCADIA, NORTH CAROLINA.

uncertain; No. 111,361, dated Jamiea1, 1871; antedeted January as, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT 'lN 'THRASHING MAC I-IINES 1b all whom it 'may concern Be it known that-I, J ossrn H. Mmnsn, of Area'- dia, in the county of Davidson and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful'lmprovcment in Thrashing and Cleaning-Machines, of which the fiillowingjs a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing;

Nature and Objects of the Intention.

The invention relates to that class of thrashing and cleaning-machines which receives the stalks from the feed-table,'wheucc they are drawlr under and'the heads of grain compressed by a feed-roller, which forces the material forward until it is caught by the curved teeth of aoylinder-rake, and by it delivered upon anoscillatingf perforated shaker, provided with teeth, which carry the straw to the other end of the shaker, where it falls to the round, the grain being at the same time shaken or thrashed from the straw by boaters operated by a pit-man-shaft; the grain passes through-the cover of the shaker into the compartment below, when it is delivered on .an inclined lattice-sieve, through the apertures of which a strong current of air is forced by the fan-blower, and in its passage over this sieve the grain is thoroughly cleaned. The sieve is placed in a plane which has an. oscillating motion derived from pitmen-crauks on the fan-blower shaft.

The objects of the invention are to prevent the 'stmw'choking or clogging the feed-roller; to thormatter, and to scpar. each other. V

The invention is intended to be used in. thrashing and clcaningwhcat, cats, rye, and other. small grain cereals.

te the kernels of grain from Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the left side of the "invention with a portion of the forward part of the frame F broken out. l

Figure 2 is a vertical section. through the line 1 2 3 4, asshown in fig-3. w

i Figure 3 is aiplan view of the top of the invention,

. Figure-4 is a perspective view of the sieve S.

Figure 5 is a vertical-section of a part of the sieve General Description.

adiustable lid, and as to the fan-blower B, which is incloscd hat-he fan-drum D. r

A is the feedingdloor, immediately above the far drum D, and in rear of the back part of the uppe part of the frame. F,.and is provided on the left ,sidi with a vertical flange, V. Immediately in frontoi and adjoining the feed-floor A is the thrashing-floor T, the rear. portion of which is concave, and in close relation to the feed-roller 1t above it. The front part of the floor T-incliues upward and forward. R, is the feed-roller, provided on each side with an axle working in boxes'on each side of the frame F. motion being communicated to the roller R by a band, E, passing over a wheel, G, on. the extremity of its left axle, which extends a proper distance beyond the side of the frame F. The motion of the roller R is from front to rear.

. The vother axle is provided with a double bandwheel, W, near its extremity, the inner one being of greater diameter than the outer, and both operating bands, the former communicating motion to the fan blower B, the latter to the shaker X. Ata proper distance above the front edge of the thrasl' ing-fioor T is placed a cylinder rake, H, provided with teeth K, curved in the direction of themovement oi the cylinder, and of sufficient-length to catch .the stalks and draw them under the cylinder without coming in contact with the thrashing-floor 1. The cylinder rake H is provided with anv axle on each side, which works .in. journals one on each side of and near the end of the upper part of the frame F.

The left journal, ektchdiu'g beyond that side of the,

frame, is provided with a band-wheel, over which passes a band, 0, connected with the baud-wheel Q, on the left axle of the fan-blower B, whereby a movement from front 'to rear is communicated to the -rake H. The shaker X partment,

open at each end, closed on each side and below, and on top covered by perforated plates U,

and the heaters 0. It is placed between the interior sides oi' the upper part or trough of the frame F, and inclines from front to rear.

The vertical sides of the shaker X are attached by means of swinging-rods a: to the inside of the frame F, and inclose on each side the top and'bottom'of the shaker X, projecting slightly above the former, to prevent the grain escaping at the sides.

The .top of the shaker X consists ofa proper number of perforated sections, U, provided on their upper surface, except where the heaters O touch the same, with teeth as, the-fronts of which project upward and forward, being placed in rows parallelto the sides of the shaker and properly separated from each other, the respective teeth being in the same vertical plans. These sections U of the top'are separated from each is a rectangular parallelogramcom-- other by the shafts of the heaters G, a spaee being left between the rear of each section U and the front of the beater-shaft c. v The front edge of each perforated section U is elevated higher than its own rear edge, and above that part of the section immediately in front of it. The inclination of the shaker X is thus downward from front to rear, the extremity of the latter part being under and slightly separated from the front of the thrashing-floor T. I

Motion is communicated to the shaker X by means of a band-wheel, a, on the right side of the frame F, which is turned by a band connecting it with the smaller band-wheel w on the right axle of the feedroller R. r v

The band-wheel a is rigidly secured to the right extremity of the shaft 1, the axles of which work in boxes on each side of the frame 1 and is provided on each side inside of the frame with a pitman crank, d, to the horizontal bar of which are secured in journals the front extremities of the spring shafts 1), rear ends of which are secured to the under side of the shaker X, the pressure of which spring shafts is equal and upward, assisting in the revolution of the shaft P. This gives the shaker an oscillating reciprocal movement in the direction of its length when the hamlwheel a. is revolved.

The rear edge of the heater 0 is rigidly secured to a shaft, 0, the right axle of which works in a journal in the side of the shaker X.

. The left axle passes through the opposite sideand through the frame F, its extremity being firmly secured at right angles to the end of an arm, 0, the

opposite end of which'is attached by a pivot either to the side of frame F or to the end of a second arm, 0', firmly afiixed to the frame. From the latter arm 0 the former depends at right angles.

An aperture of proper size and shape is made in the side of the frame 1 to allow the left axle of the shaft 0' a'movement similar to that of the shaker X, which causes the-beater 0 to rise and fall as the shaker moves forward or backward.

The fan-blower is situated below the feed-floor A, andjsinclosed on three sides by a tam-drum, D. On the remaining side, being that part below the lower front quarter of the blower B, is provided a windboard, 1', so inclined that an aperture is left between its upper front edge and the upper front edge of the fan-drum, through which the draught created by the blower B passes: I

This blower is opera-ted by a shaft, 1-, the extremities of which are provided with axles working in boxes I) on the sides of the braces of the frame F, theright axle being furnished with a band-wheel, t, rigidly at-' tached, and a band, s, connecting with the inner bandwhcel wf on the extremity of the right axle of the feed-roller It, by means of which motion in the same direction as that,of the feed-roller is communicated tothe blower shaft 7', and through it to thc-baud-wheel on the left axle, and thence by a band to the cylinderrake H.

The blower shaft is provided on each side, between the vertical planes of the ends of the drum D and the fan-blower B, with a pitman crank, f, the horizontal bars of which work in journals in the extremities of two-shafts g, the other ends of which are rigidly secured to the inside of the opposite vertical sides of the oscillating sieve-frame Z, which is hung on swinging rods h, under the rear DOI'hiOlhOf the bottom of theshaker X. Thus, by theoperation of the blower shaft 1', an oscillating reciprocal motion is given to the frame Z.

In construction the sieve-frame Z is open above and below, its sides being vertical, its general outline an oblong parallelogram. Its lower edges are braced by means of bars or slats.

0n the inside of the vertical sides, at a proper (ustance above the lower edges thereoflis a horizontal ledge, 12., above the rear ends of which, separated from the ledge n and each other a proper distance, are rigidly secured two or more wedge-shaped rests m, with their apexes in front. I

The purpose of the ledge n and rests m m is to sustain a sieve, S, in such position that the draught created by the fan-blower Itwill pass directly through its apertures.

The sieve S fits betweenthe interior of the vertical sides of the sieve-frame Z, and can he removed at will. It consists of a rectangular frame, provided with slats or lattices, the ends of which are mortised into the interior-edge of the frame. Theslats arefo'rmed with two sides, the upper one of which is in the. plane of the upper surface of the frame, the other inclining 'toward the plane of the lower surface of .the frame at an angle of about forty-five degrees (45) to the upper side. These slatsmccupy the interior of the frame, and are parallel to each other, and so separated that a grain of wheat cannot pass vertically between them when the sieve is in position.

The sieve S is so supported by the lodge a and the rests m or m", that the narrower or upper sides of the lattices are above, the wider or lower inclining downward toward the fzm-blower'B, so that the current of air therefrom passes between the slats in a direction at'or about right angles to their upper surfaces.

Operctionof the Invention.

Motion being communicated to the -.l)and-wl1eel G, the same is given to the different parts of the machine, which is then ready to receive the material tobe thrashed and cleane For the sake of convenience, the operation of the invention will be illustrated by describing the thrashing and cleaning of wheat.

The sheaf, the wythe or hinder being removed, is

spreml-orrt'npon the feed-floor A, with the heads of the grain toward the feed-roller R. It is then pushed forward until it comes in contact with the roller R, which draws the wheat under, and at the satnetime crushes or compresses the ca s between its own surface and the upper surface of the thrashing-floor T. The wheat is thus carried forward. until it comes in contact with the teeth of the revolving cylinder-rake H, which assists in loosening the kernels of grain from their hnsks, at the same time effectually and swiftly clearing thespace between the feed-roller It and the thrashing-floor T of the straw. The material which passes under the rake H is thus carried forward until it falls upon the upper surface of the shaker X, the action of which and its construction being such that the material is continually pushed-forward until the straw is thrown from the upper and forward extremity of the shaker X.

In the course of its progress the material is vigorously thrashed from below by the action of the heater- 0, and thegrainfitllseither through the perforated sections U, or the spaces between the beater shafts t and the rear edges of the sections in'front into the compartment below, passing, on account of the oscillating movement of the shaker, down the inclined upper surface of its under side, whence the grain falls upon the inclined sieve S through the apertures, in which a vigorous current of air is passing, which cleans the grain of all chaff and lighter material in the course ,of its descent. -The'larger grain passing over the apertures in the sieve S is caught in a hopper, placed immediately below its front edge, while the smaller grain passes between the apertures and is received in a. properly-constructedreceptacle below. The wheat passing between theopenings in the sieve may be caught-in a properly-construeted trough secured below. The screenings will usually pass through the ,im somewhat lower down its slope than the small wheat.- The heavier the grain to be thi-ashed, the

should he:the incline oi: the sieve.

Clajlns.

XVii'at I olaimjasmxinvention; and desire to secure;-

ishaliefX, provided with the toothed perforated transaemijsedtidns -U,' heaters (J, and under side, constmetedand arranged snbstantiallyin the manner and-for the purpose specified.-

t 2; Theshak'er X, provided with the-toothed perfomted sebtions U, beaters O, and under side, conetruotedand arranged substantially as shown and set 3.1 6 beater 0; provided with the solid flange,

and arranged as shown.

described, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 23d-day of May, 1870.

- JOSEPH H. MILLER. [L- s.]

Witnesses: I

" Jonx H.'W nmso1m,,

ment's in thrashing and cleaning-machines; as above 

